“Core values” is a term to which everyone can attach the “meaning” they think suits best. What are Hong Kong’s core values? Debates continue but no definite answer has emerged: advanced democrats believe “localism” and “anti-Communist” are core values; pseudo-left-wingers praise “tolerance” which is in fact conniving with the powers-that-be; local communism supporters claim that “love China, love Hong Kong” is the only value – which really underlines their blind loyalty to the CCP; property tycoons and plutocrats emphasise “the Lion Rock spirit”, by which they only mean “hard work” and “endurance” as these elements ensure their privileges.

Some suggest that Hong Kong’s core values are the four universal values – democracy, freedom, human rights and rule of law. These latter are all important values to Hongkongers, but they are not unique Hong Kong values as they lack “localness”. This means, each person has his subjective interpretation of the term “core values”. This is why I prefer not to use this term as it always leads to an endless debate on its definition. Are there core values that are unique to Hong Kong? Of course there are, but they are not the narrow definitions mentioned above. After long term observation on Hongkongers’ lifestyle, preferences, actions and habits, it is clear to me that Hong Kong’s core value is “opportunistic speculation”.

Hongkongers love making money, especially “quick money” that does not require any investment. Anything in Hong Kong involves a certain degree of speculation, from properties worth millions of dollars to iPhones, from limited-edition trainers to financial products like derivatives. Of course equities are the most popular items amongst Hongkongers. There are times when everyone in Hong Kong speculates in the stock market, a truly unique phenomenon making Hong Kong a much larger casino that any casino in Macau. Speculation involves an opportunistic inclination. People who buy things for a short period of time wishing to make profit by selling these items cannot truly understand the value of these products, especially financial products. In a show, Hong Kong stand-up comedian Dayo Wong Tze Wah gave a truly inspirational explanation of this phenomenon, “Hongkongers are afflicted by a curse called ‘The Number Curse’. This is how the curse works: One day, someone gives you a number (a stock). You know nothing about this number, but you bet everything you have on this number.”

If we examine Hongkongers more closely, “Number Curse” does not only apply on the stock market, but also in the political space. After all these years, we are under the “8964” curse (4/June/1989) cast by HK Alliance – made up of the core members of Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU) and the Democratic Party – and many Hongkongers are still suffering from this very curse. Hongkongers have not only bet their own interests on this “magical number”, but also the fate of their next generation and the future of Hong Kong. HK Alliance organises the Victoria Park candle-lit vigil year after year, and provides its “shareholders” with annual results and forecasts on its performance that are utterly empty. All the HK Alliance has done is to gain exposure for themselves and betray Hong Kong voters on major political issues. They fail to support the democratic movement in China as they promise, and at the same time fear to face the ever-intensifying interference of the CCP. They do not even dare to include “to end one-party autocracy” in their banners. Instead they beg for the autocracy to reverse the wrongful verdict on 4/June protesters. 25 years have passed, China’s human rights haven’t improved but instead deteriorate day by day. Recently, the very people HK Alliance pledged to build a democratic China for have “declared war on Hong Kong’s civilisation with feces” and sworn to “kill every single Hongkonger without question”. The hatred which the Chinese hold towards Hongkongers has been fanned by the CCP for 65 years, and they will never change their tune. Conflicts between Hong Kong and China intensify, Hongkongers’ survival space is being invaded, and our culture is being erased, why haven’t Hongkongers woken up yet? All of this comes down to the curse HK Alliance cast on Hongkongers, which is being reinforced every year in Victoria Park.

Year after year, pictures of Victoria Park, lit by thousands of candles, appear in the newspapers. The dramatic images mislead people, and they continue to endorse and support HK Alliance, which offers the members of HK Alliance, who are also branded as pan-democrats, the platform to win elections and provides them the opportunity to betray Hongkongers. To make it worse, many youngsters who do not know HK Alliance’s track record for betraying Hongkongers pour their youth, time, and trust into the HK Alliance black hole. The only way to beat this “8964” curse and regain control of Hong Kong’s future is to turn to the people and establish our own path to democracy by removing the political confidence tricksters of HK Alliance, the Democratic Party and HKPTU from 8964’s “board” or even from the political space in Hong Kong. Some who have woken up called for a 4/June commemoration at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Clock Tower last year and, independently, people are hosting a commemoration event again this year at the same spot. It is believed that events similar to this will continue to spread across Hong Kong to de-monopolise the 4/June commemoration.